Cushion construction



Jan. 2, 1934. F. 1.. BROWN CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed May 20, 1931Patented Jan. 2, 1934 CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Frederick Lee Brown,Greenfield, Ohio, assignor to The American Pad and Textile Company,Greenfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 20, 1931. SerialNo. 538,711

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cushion construction generally andparticularly to that type of cushion commonly known as life savingcushions, wherein a waterproof cushion casing is stuffed with kapokfiller and straps or handles provided so that the devices serve thedouble purpose of a pillow or cushion and in an emergency provides abuoyant body to sustain a swimmer or person overboard of a craft onwhich the cushions are usually used as an item of personal comfort.

An object of this invention is to provide a cushion which has andretains a substantially box-like shape but which requires no separateedge panels in the cover construction.

Another object is to provide a corner construction for cushion coverswherein both cover halves are provided at each corner with a double foldwhich strengthens the corners and retains the stufiing material in aless tightly compacted condition thereby retaining the optimum buoyancyof the cushion regardless of its continued use as a seat cushion forwater craft and the like.

Another object is to provide a novel type of corner fold for cushioncovers that tends to maintain a box-like shape or effect of a two-piececover for cushions.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein anddisclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cover casing in reversed relation andshowing the relation of parts while being sewed together.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of a corner of onecover half folded preparatory to stitching.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a completed stuffed cushion, of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

part being broken away.

Fig. 7 is a View taken on line 77 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a fragmentalperspective of a cushion corner of the invention.

T Heretofore life saving cushions were made generally after the fashionof square pillow-like cushions, with tapered or feather-edged sides. Thedifficulty with this type of cushion is that the kapok or other stuffingmaterial becomes crowded out of the corners and compacted in the centerand a loss in buoyancy as a life saving device results. The constructionembodied in the present invention holds up the corners and sides of thecover and keeps the kapok well out into the cor- .551 ners and a betterdistribution of the stuffing with lesser compression results. Thecushion therefore retains a neat appearance in spite of hard usage andthe buoyancy thereof is not diminished.

Referring to the drawing a pair of cushion cover halves 10 and 11 areinitially cut to uniform square, rectangular or other shapes with eachof the corners rounded off to substantially a quarter circle. Thematerial is usually waterproof imi tation leather or its equivalent.These cover halves 10 and 11 are laid in superposed relation with thefinish sides together whereupon a V-shaped strip 12, with a cord 13inserted, is laid about the edges of said cover members in interposedrelations. (See Fig. 2). The edge flange of the lower cover half isindicated at 14, the two edge portions of the V-shaped strip areindicated at 15 and 16, and the edge flange of the upper cushion coveris indicated at 17. The four thicknesses of material numbered 14, 15,16, and 17 are then stitched together along three sides of the cushionand along the ends of the fourth side as at 18 and 19, the corners beingdouble folded in the manner hereinafter described before the stitchingthereof. As is best seen in Fig. 4, a substantially triangular portion20 is pushed inward- 1y at each corner of each cover member and theadjacent parts of the material are folded outwardly over a portionthereof as at 21 and 22. These are in the nature of tucks. The piping orbinding 12 remains flat as in the remainder of the seam. An unstitchedportion 23 is allowed to remain as a mouth or opening through which thecover is turned right side out and to permit stuffing of the cushionwith kapok or other material S. This is then stitched together upon thepiping 12. Straps of flexible material 24 and 25 are secured in placeduring the stitching operation if desired.

The pair of pocket-like members 20-20 at each corner, together with thepiping or binding 12 resists flattening of the cushion and provides amore resilient seat and an exceptionally long lasting buoyancy when usedas a life saving or swimming appliance. The appearance of the cushion isenhanced both because of the boxw like or flat sided effect andinherently ornamental nature of the corner folds which produce a flatchamfered corner effect.

The piping 13 and cord 12 may be omitted to effect a less expensiveconstruction for the cush- 0 ion, if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cushion construction the combination of a pair of cover halvesof relatively heavy fabric secured together to form a cushion casing,said '1 halves having rounded corners, each corner of each cover halfhaving opposed tucks on opposite sides of its center, and uniformfilling of fibrous material for the cushion, holding said cushion in boxlike shape, said tucked portions of the cover halves protecting thestufflng in the corners of the cushion against undue compacting andholding said fibrous stufiing material against movement out of saidcorner.

2. In a life saving cushion of the class described the combination of apair of uniform polygonal sheets of relatively heavy flexible material,the corners of which are rounded, a covered binding cord memberextending between the edges of said sheets, each corner of each sheethaving a tuck on each side of its center and stitching securing thesheets and binding together and retaining the tucks in position toproduce flattened sides and corners for the casing whereby stuffingmaterial in the cushion is retained against displacement and excessivecompacting by said tuck reinforcing corner.

3. As a new article of manufacture a two-piece life saving cushioncasing of relatively heavy material having opposed triangular folds ortucks at each side of each corner for producing a boxshape in the casingand effecting a self-reinforcement of the corners of the casing.

4. In a life saving cushion casing of the class described a pair ofcover members of relatively heavy flexible material secured together atthe edges, and corners having folded-under portions to reduce theperipheral dimension of the casing and producing opposed cooperatingintegral triangular members to reinforce the corners thereof and wherebya box-like shape is imparted to the casing.

5. In a life saving cushion construction the combination of a pair ofsheets ofsuitable relatively heavy waterproof flexible fabric securedtogether at the edges and pairs of folded in tucks at each corner ofeach sheet effecting box-like shape for the casing, and stuffingmaterial in said cushion, said corner construction resisting movementof'the stufling material out of the corners of the casing and retainingthe corner portions of the sheets in substantially vertical relation tothe major faces of the cushion.

6. In a life-saving cushion the combination of a pair of uniform covermembers of relatively heavy waterproof fabric, said cover members havingrounded corners, a tuck at each side of each corner whereby to provide apair of opposed integral triangular stiffening portions at the corner ofeach cover half, an in-turned stitched seam securing the cover halvestogether with the corresponding triangular corner stiffening portionsaligned, and kapok snugly filling the space between said cover portionsand retaining them in a substantially box-like shape.

FREDERICK LEE BROWN.

